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Accelerator spotlight: HCDC Business Center

Nestled in Norwood, a nationally recognized startup incubator is helping local entrepreneurs make their dream businesses a reality. Established in 1989, the HCDC Business Center quickly became one of the largest and most successful in the U.S.

“We’ve helped more than 360 ideas become products or scalable businesses,” said Pat Longo, Director of the HCDC Business Center. “Our clients have created more than 2,400 jobs and generated $500 million in capital investment in the last 25+ years.”

In addition to access to capital, coaching and mentorship, and business growth programming like Morning Mentoring and eKickStart, the Business Center has a unique atmosphere of comradery, where companies exchange ideas and help out their neighbors down the hall.

“We have more than 70,000 square feet of space,” said Longo. “Even with our 60 current resident clients, we still have plenty of room to welcome new businesses into our family, with office spaces available ranging from 150 sq ft to 1200 sq ft. We are also expanding our CoWorks Program, where startup companies can share a working space but receive all the same amenities as a regular client, including business coaching.”

Success stories are easy to find

With more than 25 years of experience mentoring startups, the HCDC Business Center has many success stories to share. One recent story comes from aerospace newcomer General Nano and its product Veelo, carbon nanotube material that is used in missiles, satellites, and that are typically used in airplanes

In February 2016, the company announced that Veelo would be going into space to help measure the impact of climate change. Two months later, Boeing named General Nano one of the company’s 12 suppliers of the year.

“General Nano came out of the University of Cincinnati,” said Longo. “We helped the cofounders find the capital and resources they needed to nurture the company’s growth. We’re so proud to see where General Nano is today and where it is headed in the future.”

To learn more about HCDC’s Business Center, visit the accelerator’s website and subscribe to its newsletter.